1.Agency export and agencyIs it the same concept?

This is the most common cognitive bias.Export by proxyRefers to professionalThe company assists production enterprises in completing the entire export process,including customs clearance,logistics,and document preparation,while. Collection on behalf It specifically refers to foreign exchange-qualified institutions receiving overseas payments on behalf of others.In practice,professional foreign trade companies often provide both services.However,according to the latest foreign exchange management regulations of 2025,the receiving party must be registered on the "List of Enterprises Engaged in Foreign Exchange Settlement for Trade Purposes".

2.Under what circumstances is it mandatory to use an agency collection service?

• TheproductionenterprisedoesnothaveForthetimebeing:Thetransactionmustbecompletedthroughanagencycompany.
• UnderspecialtrademodesForexample,marketprocurementtrade(code1039)mustbeconductedthroughdesignatedvenuesforforeignexchangecollection.
• Foreignexchangecontrolcountriesduringtransactions:PaymentsforsanctionedcountriessuchasIranandVenezuelamustbeprocessedthroughdesignatedproxychannels.

3.How is the safety of funds for entrusted foreign exchange collection ensured?

A legitimate agency company must provide Triple safeguard mechanism :

• Signatripartiteagreementtoclarifytheownershipoffunds.
• Establishaco-managedaccountsupervisedbytheChinaBankingandInsuranceRegulatoryCommission.
• Providereal-timetraceablecross-borderfundtransferrecords.

The case of a mechanical and electrical enterprise in 2024,where 2 million US dollars were frozen due to receiving payments through an unregistered agent,fully validates the importance of qualification review.

IV.How should the agency service fee be calculated reasonably?

Industry standard fees consist of two parts:

• Basicservicefee:Chargedat0.8%-1.5%ofthecargovalue(includingcustomsclearance,logistics,anddocumentation).
• AdditionalCollectionFee:Afeeof0.3%-0.8%oftheforeignexchangeamountwillbecharged.

Be particularly wary of service providers with a total fee rate below 0.5%,as they may pose risks of fraudulent invoicing or money laundering.

V.Will agency export have an impactAccording to Document No.38 of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange in 2025,

Standardized agency operations It will not affect the right to tax refund.,but three key points must be noted:

• Thecustomsdeclarationformmustindicatethetrademethodof"agencyexport."
• ThespecialVATinvoiceisissuedtotheactualproductionenterprise.
• CollectionReceiptandTheamountontheinvoicemustmatch.

By 2025,the new version of the Electronic Tax Bureau system has implemented automatic comparison of agency export tax rebate data,and the review period has been shortened to 15 working days.

6.How to Verify the Compliance of an Agency Company?

It is recommended to Four-Step Verification Method :

• Verifytheoriginalcopyofthe"ForeignTradeOperatorRegistrationForm."
• VerifytheclassificationlevelwiththeStateAdministrationofForeignExchange(prioritygiventoClassAenterprises).
• Reviewthecustomscreditrating(GeneralCertificationorabove)forthepastthreeyears.
• Pleaseprovideproofofbankcreditline(recommendedtobenolessthanRMB50million).

Automobile ExportIs it suitable to use an agent for receiving payments?

According to the new regulations on cross-border e-commerce in 2025, The following three scenarios are recommended for adopting agency foreign exchange collection.:

• Whentheplatform’smonthlysalesexceed$50,000,
• Wheninvolvingmulti-storefundpooling,
• Whenusingtheoverseaswarehousemodel,domesticforeignexchangesettlementisrequired.

A leading cross-border e-commerce seller achieved a 40% increase in capital turnover rate through agent-based foreign exchange collection,demonstrating the feasibility of this model.

8.What are the tax risks associated with acting as a foreign exchange collection agent?

There are two major risk points:

• Riskoftimedifferenceinforeignexchangereceiptsandpayments:Foreignexchangereceiptsandgoodsexportsexceeding90daysrequireanextensiondeclaration.
• Exchangeratefluctuationrisk:Itisrecommendedtosignalock-inexchangerateagreement(suchasthepopularNDFforwardcontractin2025).

9.Is the agent responsible in case of trade disputes?

According to Article 926 of the Civil Code,the agent shall only Three scenarios Joint and several liability:

• Knowingthattheentrustedmatterisillegalbutstillactingasanagent.
• Thetransactiontermswerealteredwithoutauthorizationandhavenotbeenratified.
• Failuretofulfillnecessaryreviewobligationsresultinginlosses

10.How to Choose a Reliable Proxy Service Provider?

It is recommended to establish Five-dimensional evaluation system :

• Industryexperience(itisrecommendedtochoosecompaniesestablishedformorethan8years)
• Riskcontrolsystem(mustincludeanti-moneylaunderingmonitoringsystem)
• Levelofinformatization(whetherAPIdataintegrationcapabilityisavailable)
• Servicenetwork(customsclearancecapabilitycoveringtargetmarketsoverseas)
• Financialstrength(registeredcapitalnotlessthanRMB10million)